Beating of Houston bartender being called a hate crime by friends, employer

Updated 5:03 pm, Thursday, July 16, 2015

Photo: Uncle Albert's Pub Facebook

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Raiel Rizik, a bartender at Uncle Albert’s Pub off Barker Cypress Road in west Houston, was assaulted in the bar in the early morning hours of July 14 by an unknown assailant. He is reported suffered a severely broken jaw and teeth in the incident. Rizik, who is of Lebanese descent, was reportedly called a “terrorist” in the process. less

Raiel Rizik, a bartender at Uncle Albert’s Pub off Barker Cypress Road in west Houston, was assaulted in the bar in the early morning hours of July 14 by an unknown assailant. He is reported suffered a ... more

Photo: Uncle Albert's Pub Facebook

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Raiel Rizik, a bartender at Uncle Albert’s Pub off Barker Cypress Road in west Houston, was assaulted in the bar in the early morning hours of July 14 by an unknown assailant. He is reported suffered a severely broken jaw and teeth in the incident. Rizik, who is of Lebanese descent, was reportedly called a “terrorist” in the process. less

Raiel Rizik, a bartender at Uncle Albert’s Pub off Barker Cypress Road in west Houston, was assaulted in the bar in the early morning hours of July 14 by an unknown assailant. He is reported suffered a ... more

Photo: Uncle Albert's Pub Facebook

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According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Texas is home to a number of organizations that either directly or indirectly espouse hateful beliefs. Click through to see if you live near these alleged hate groups.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Texas is home to a number of organizations that either directly or indirectly espouse hateful beliefs. Click through to see if you live near these alleged hate ... more

Photo: AP

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Group: League of the South
Location: La Porte, TexasViews: Neo-Confederate

Group: League of the SouthLocation: La Porte, TexasViews: Neo-Confederate

Beating of Houston bartender being called a hate crime by friends, employer

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The violent assault of a popular bartender at a Houston-area bar is being called a “hate crime” by those close to the victim.

Raiel Rizk is a bartender at Uncle Albert’s Pub off Barker Cypress Road in west Houston. In the early morning hours of July 14, close to last call, he was attacked and beaten by an unknown assailant, suffering a severely broken jaw and teeth.

During the attack, witnesses told officials he was called a "terrorist." Rizk was not on duty at the bar at the time, but visiting friends after his shift at another establishment in the area.

Rebecca Dove-Weaver, who owns the bar with her husband Les Weaver, identified Rizk as being of Lebanese descent. He has Arabic tattoos visible on his arms, which were visible at the time of the incident. They believe this is why he was attacked in a bar restroom.

He had apparently been sitting with a man and woman at the bar earlier in the night. No one seems to know what provoked the attack. Dove-Weaver says that the woman gleefully watched the incident occur from the restroom door.

“This was not a bar fight; it was a hate crime,” she says.

There is surveillance video of the events leading up to the assault which the bar owners are declining to release to the media since the incident is under investigation by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

No charges have been filed in connection with the incident, but Dove-Weaver says that the FBI has contacted her and her husband about the attack.

Spokesperson Shauna A. Dunlap with the FBI's Houston division said that the agency was aware of the assault and that an investigation is underway.

"We are looking into the incident to determine if there is any evidence to indicate a federal violation of law," Dunlap said in a statement on Thursday.

Rizk is currently being treating for his injuries and was undergoing major surgery at an area hospital on Thursday morning. Dove-Weaver says that his jaw is being plated and reconstructed.

Dove-Weaver says that Rizk turns 33 years old on Thursday. Rizk has had his birthday party at the bar for the past 10 years. He has worked there nine years, starting first as a bar back, then moving to cook, and then becoming a bartender.

“He doesn’t know any strangers,” Dove-Weaver says. “There is a lot of hate in the world and we never thought it would come to us. Everyone usually feels safe here.”

She says she wants to see justice, as do the other patrons at the bar who view Rizk as family.

From his hospital bed Rizk posted a lengthy Facebook message to his friends and family, which in part calls for forgiveness of his attacker:

"He didn't know me or knew what I was all about, but knew that some of my people are causing harm to his brothers and sisters overseas."